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The Eagle Butte Talons 1 softball team poses with the championship trophy after beating the Eagle Butte 2 team 12-4 for the high school league championship this weekend.
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In an all Eagle Butte Talons high school softball finals, it was the Talons 1 team coming out on top.
Both softball teams from the Prairie Rose division school made it to the league final tournament, with the Talons 1 team beating the Talons 2 team 12-4 on Sunday to claim gold and complete an undefeated tournament.
The tournament featured 10 teams in the U19 league, with each of the region’s high schools – Eagle Butte, Monsignor McCoy, Hat High and Crescent Heights – having two teams each, and all three of Oyen, Brooks and Bassano represented with a team.
Talons 1 head coach Scott Kelly says the influx of athletes from the South Alberta Hockey Academy’s female team helped both Eagle Butte teams and he is proud of how the league has grown.
“We split those girls up, not a lot of them are softball players per se, but they’re just really good athletes,” Kelly said. “I can honestly say it’s not a coaching thing, it’s just they’re really good athletes.
“It’s just crazy how many teams are and how many girls are playing the sport, even at the younger ages, it’s really blossomed as well and USports has really recovered well since the COVID era, which kind of knocked a lot of the sports and activities down. So it’s great to see them flourishing again.”
The Oyen team finished in third place.
Kelly, who also serves as a vice president with Medicine Hat Minor Softball, says they battled the non-summer-like weather all high school season and he was happy it warmed up for the final weekend.
“We had hail and wind and freezing temperatures and it was the worst it’s been in the 10 or 12 years that I’ve been coaching, it was the worst spring we’ve had,” Kelly said. “So it was really great to end with wonderful weather. There was lots of families who were finally willing to come out and sit in the sun and enjoy the weekend, which took a lot of volunteer hours. It was great.”
The softball action continues in the city for the rest of the summer as the Thunder teams continue their seasons. Before the next high school softball season gets underway, Kelly tips his cap to those who volunteered to make this year happen.
“It’s a very, very inexpensive sport to play but that’s because it’s carried on the backs of volunteers,” Kelly said. “The people that organize the tournaments and the draw, the diamonds and all the equipment that goes into playing the game between the lines and bases, it’s just nonstop. No one appreciates it as much as they should but it’s a lot of work to get it all done.”
